Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-04

/ 'aooiihs people, or Inc manufacturers, be-
cause their Interests are the Interests OF the
empio!es. 1t was an important question, one
that had come down TO Us ringing through the
corridors OF time; becsuse the struggles of
labor nave marked the great epochs in the
history OF civilization. This question is upon
US. Shall we who are conservative men. who
/ To-Day hold the reins, settle this question, or
shail we 20 ont 10 the people with a record of
broken faith and broken promises, and leave
these halls to be filled by untred and updis-
clplined men, smarting under sense of
wrong, tired of the treacherv of politicians? I?
And what would be the result? He submitted
that the Importance of this question could not
be overestimated. He believed that in the
heart OF each Senator rested the conviction
that the majority report, and especially in its
present form, was in its legal effect but
deed of bargain and sale to the
corporations OF the State, although
he would not say it was so intended
by the committee. You may sign it, you may
seal II, you may acknowledge II as your free
act and deed if you can, and you may put il
on record; but the people, the great high
court OF appeals will, without writ of entry or
process of court, some day sooner or later,
come into possession of their own and over
turn your mortgage deed. If this Is legislature
could not enact proper law upon the sub
Ject, then II should go home and give place TO
another which could. Why was this cry that
there must be some ten hour law? Why this
freak of nature that comes from the House !?
II would be unsafe to put it upon the statute
book without proclamation from the Cover
nor to inform the people that it was a ten
hour law. No man knows whst il is. 1t is
delusion and a cheat. He asked that Sena-
tors should consider the matter rs servants OF
the people and pass no law that should be a
bad one under the senseless claim that some
law must be enacted; that they should settle
the question and take no chances of the un-
known future, and remember that some day,
God grant that it might not be true) the
prophetic warning of the poet Longiellow
might yet be written in the history of this
State, that
"There is poor blind Sampson in our land,
Shorn OF his strength and bound with bonds of
steel,
Who may in some grim revel, raise his hand
Ana snake the pillar OF the common veal.
Mr.. Lumbert OF Aroostook, as chairman of
the Committee on Labor reporting the major
Ity bill, stated some of the difficulties under
which the committee laborei. They had
been rendered all kinds of propositions and
advice by those holding different views,
and had at last reported what in their judg-
ment was tor the best interests of all. lt did
not pretend that 1t had formulated anything
which crystalized the entire public opinion
of the State, because he claimed that this was
an impossible thing for any committee to do
The bill was similar to the one passed BY the
House two years ago, and for which the SEN
ator from kennebec Mr.. Heath then voted
| 1t applied to women and children and not to
men, and was similar TO the law III Massa-
chusetts which had worked fairly well. The
I 80. Al.
in that state it would be proper to try it here,
and if at the end of two years it should be
found inadequate to the needs of the people
it could be amended The committee were
unwilling to indorse a measure SO sweeping
and radical as the minority report The in
terests Of the State were varied, and while it
was desirable that there should be Just
legislation for labor, it should also be remem-
bered that capital has some rights. He did
not acknowledge that there was a permanent
laboring class of laborers in the country, for
the laborer of to-day may be the capitalist of
to MORROW, the creditor of to-day the
debtor OF tomorrow, and rice rersa
! He conceded that it would be constitutional
to pass a law including men, and did not put
his objection to the bill of the minority on
that ground but upon the ground that it was
not exptdient. The people were not
ready for such law. He said
that the physical condition of
women was such that she required the pro-
lection of the State in the matter of over
work. But in the case of man, he did
not believe it good policy to take him by the
hair OF the head and say you shall work only
so long, and il you work longer, you are a
criminal, because he was physically able
to stand work. A great distinction existed
between men and women physically. Stats
tics show that 80 per cent. of the women
who work in places where they must
/ be on their feet were troubled with
disease entirely foreign to men, and he be-
lieved it the duty of the State to see that they
were not worked in our manufactures more
than ten hours daily. He believed it fair and
Just to make this discrimination between the
sexes. Although the bill might not be all
that everyone could ask yet he believed under
| the circumstances that it would work the
greatest good to the greatest number.
The bill was then laid on the table and
assigned for Tomorrow at IL o'clock
READ AND ASSIGNED.
Bill an act granting special powers tc
School District No. 3, in Springfield.
Bill an act to amend sec. l, chap. AGO
private and special laws of 1855.
Resolve in favor of the town of Haynesville
Resolve in favor of Mrs. Hannah Allen o
Bath.
Resolve in favor of Thomas w. Porter.
| Resolve in favor of the Maine Insane Hos
pItal.
Resolve relating to settlers on lands ir
Madawaska.
Resolve in favor of Oakfield Plantation.
Resolve levying taxes on the counties Of
the State for the years 1887 and 1888.
Bill an act to incorporate the Bath Electric
Gaslight Co.
PASSED TO BE EssRossED.
| Resolve authorizing the County of York tc
procure money on a loan.
Bill an act to amend sec. SO, chap. 81, re
vised statutes, relating to bail.
Bill an act to amend secs. 81 and 92, chap
40, revised statutes, relating to life insurance
| Bill an act additional to and amendatory Of
secs. 50, Sc, 81 and So, of chap. of th'
revised statutes, relating to corporations.
/ Bill an act to amend sec. 81. chap. 40, re
/ vised statutes, relating to fish wavs.
Bill an act to amend sec. 8, chap. 81 o.
the revised statutes, relating to liens on yes
els.
/ Bill an act to amend sec. 49, chap. 10, re
vised statutes, relating to insolyent debtor
as amended By the House.
Il Bill an act additional to chap. 81 of th'
/ revised statutes relating to safety swithe
and lights as amended by the House.
Bill an act TO repeal chap. 392 Of the pri
vate and special laws OF 1873 entitled an &C
relating to the free high school in the tovr
of Frenchville.